Who is Ncuti Gatwa? Meet Sex Education star to front Doctor Who
Ncuti Gatwa will take over from Jodie Whittaker in Doctor Who.
There’s a new Time Lord in town.
After months of speculation, Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who successor has been found, with Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa cast as the time-travelling hero.
The actor will become our 14th Doctor (though we have our suspicions that there may yet be another casting twist), taking over from incumbent Time Lord Jodie Whittaker when she regenerates this autumn.
Whittaker is said to be "so happy" about Gatwa's casting, according to Russell T Davies, while Doctor Who’s former showrunner Steven Moffat has said we’re all “in for a treat”.
"Finally I can admit it,” Moffat told The Telegraph. “I’ve seen the new Doctor in action. Russell [T Davies] showed me the audition tape a while back.
"He is magnificent: all at once a brand new hero and the same wonderful mad old Doctor we’ve always known. Trust me, we are all in for a treat."
Gatwa will be the first Black male lead to take on the role of the time-travelling hero in the new episodes from returning showrunner Russell T Davies.
So, how much do you know about Ncuti Gatwa, the 29-year-old actor who has just been given the keys to the TARDIS?
Read on for everything you need to know about the new Doctor Who lead, including where you'll have seen him before.
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Who is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is a Rwandan-Scottish actor best known for his breakout role as Eric Effiong in Netflix teen comedy Sex Education.
The actor has received three BAFTA TV Award nominations for the role and has also won a BAFTA Scotland Award for his performance in the series.
On Sunday 8th May 2022, it was announced that Gatwa had been cast as the Fourteenth Doctor in Doctor Who, taking over from Jodie Whittaker.
He is expected to make his debut during the centenary special in October.
How old is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is 29 years old.
He was born on 15th October 1992.
What nationality is Ncuti Gatwa?
Ncuti Gatwa is Rwandan-Scottish.
He was born in Nyarugenge, Kigali, Rwanda, and raised primarily in Edinburgh and Dunfermline in Scotland.
He'll be following in the footsteps of steps of previous Time Lord's Sylvester McCoy (Dunoon), Peter Capaldi (Glasgow) and David Tennant (Bathgate), who all grew up in Scotland.
What has Ncuti Gatwa previously starred in?
Ncuti Gatwa rose to prominence after he made his debut as the charming and charismatic Eric Effiong – a gay student who is best friends with Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield) who gives out sex advice to his peers – in the Netflix comedy series Sex Education in 2019.
Prior to this role, Gatwa had appeared in the BBC sitcom Bob Servant (2014) and the TV adaptation of the novel Stonemouth (2015).
He has also appeared in the 2019 film Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans and the 2021 film The Last Letter from Your Lover.
In 2023, Gatwa can be seen in the Greta Gerwig film Barbie opposite Margot Robbie in the titular role and Ryan Gosling as Ken.
Also starring in the film are his Sex Education colleagues Emma Mackey (Maeve Wiley) and Connor Swindells (Adam Groff).
What has Ncuti Gatwa said about joining Doctor Who?
Upon being announced by the BBC as the Fourteenth Doctor, a statement was shared from Ncuti Gatwa.
The actor said: "There aren’t quite the words to describe how I’m feeling. A mix of deeply honoured, beyond excited and of course a little bit scared. This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself, and each one of my incredibly talented predecessors has handled that unique responsibility and privilege with the utmost care. I will endeavour my upmost to do the same.
"Russell T Davies is almost as iconic as the Doctor himself and being able to work with him is a dream come true. His writing is dynamic, exciting, incredibly intelligent and fizzing with danger. An actor’s metaphorical playground. The entire team have been so welcoming and truly give their hearts to the show. And so as much as it’s daunting, I’m aware I’m joining a really supportive family. Unlike the Doctor, I may only have one heart but I am giving it all to this show."
Speaking on BBC News at the BAFTA TV Awards, Gatwa revealed he was cast as the Doctor in February 2022, admitting it was "tricky" keeping it "under wraps".
Davies described Gatwa's audition as "blazing" and called it "the very last" audition for the part that he saw.
Is Ncuti Gatwa on Instagram?
Yes, you can find Ncuti Gatwa's Instagram profile with the handle @ncutigatwa.
At present, Gatwa has 2.6 million followers.
It was on Instagram that the actor first teased his casting in Doctor Who with an image of four emojis: two hearts, a plus sign and a blue box.
Is Ncuti Gatwa on Twitter?
At present, Ncuti Gatwa is not on Twitter.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. For more, check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.
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